NUMBERS 5-6
22The Lord said to Moses, 23“Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24“ ‘ “The Lord bless you
and keep you;
25the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.” ’
27“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”(6:22-27)
22The Lord said to Moses, 23“Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24“ ‘ “The Lord bless you
and keep you;
25the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
26the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.” ’
MARK 4:1-20
13Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
JOURNAL
To hear the word, to understand it and to put it into practice is our mission in this life. Regardless of the outcome. Regardless of what might happen to us. We are to be obedient even when worries and wealth and poverty and alternative desires bombard our lives. This is the importance of self-discipline that Paul speaks to Timothy about. He lists 3 things that we get with the spirit and one thing that it is not. "For God does not give us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline" 2 Timothy 1:7
First and foremost the spirit is not timid...what does that really mean? Well after a google search of the definition...showing a lack of courage or confidence; easily frightened.
here are some similar words...apprehensive, fearful, easily frightened, afraid, faint-hearted, timorous, nervous, scared, frightened, cowardly, pusillanimous, spineless; shy, diffident, self-effacing, wimpish, wimpy, yellow, chicken, mousy, gutless, sissy, lily-livered, candy-assed, weak-kneed
But most importantly...15 minutes of honesty with myself is enough to see how this plagues my life in so many ways. This timidity and lack of self-discipline leads to all kinds of disobedience, passivity and sin. It leads me to be manipulated and controlled by my environment. It leads me to discard the spirit, the word of God and my relationship with God for a quick hit of immediate gratification. Most of the time it's not sinister...it's subtle but it leads me to be passive and self-absorbed.
Just like the seed in the field I must be good soil...receptive, free of weeds and distractions. God has promised that his spirit gives me all that I could ever need.
To hear the word, to understand it and to put it into practice is our mission in this life. Regardless of the outcome. Regardless of what might happen to us. We are to be obedient even when worries and wealth and poverty and alternative desires bombard our lives. This is the importance of self-discipline that Paul speaks to Timothy about. He lists 3 things that we get with the spirit and one thing that it is not. "For God does not give us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline" 2 Timothy 1:7
First and foremost the spirit is not timid...what does that really mean? Well after a google search of the definition...showing a lack of courage or confidence; easily frightened.
here are some similar words...apprehensive, fearful, easily frightened, afraid, faint-hearted, timorous, nervous, scared, frightened, cowardly, pusillanimous, spineless; shy, diffident, self-effacing, wimpish, wimpy, yellow, chicken, mousy, gutless, sissy, lily-livered, candy-assed, weak-kneed
First and foremost the spirit is not timid...what does that really mean? Well after a google search of the definition...showing a lack of courage or confidence; easily frightened.
here are some similar words...apprehensive, fearful, easily frightened, afraid, faint-hearted, timorous, nervous, scared, frightened, cowardly, pusillanimous, spineless; shy, diffident, self-effacing, wimpish, wimpy, yellow, chicken, mousy, gutless, sissy, lily-livered, candy-assed, weak-kneed
But most importantly...15 minutes of honesty with myself is enough to see how this plagues my life in so many ways. This timidity and lack of self-discipline leads to all kinds of disobedience, passivity and sin. It leads me to be manipulated and controlled by my environment. It leads me to discard the spirit, the word of God and my relationship with God for a quick hit of immediate gratification. Most of the time it's not sinister...it's subtle but it leads me to be passive and self-absorbed.
Just like the seed in the field I must be good soil...receptive, free of weeds and distractions. God has promised that his spirit gives me all that I could ever need.
24“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
MATTHEW 6:24
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